Betray Me
by Rotting-Fruit
Summary: AU: Severus Snape is a lonely soul. With the loss of his best friend, how will he cope with what's to come? Probably with much mashed potatoes. Warnings: Will contain slash, swearing, and other such things little children shouldn't read about. Not Severus/Lily... It's a surprise.
1. A Prologue of Sorts

**AN:** _I don't own anything about Harry Potter._

* * *

**A Prologue of Sorts**

Alone.

He knew alone.

Alone was sitting in his room playing with brave kings and vicious dragons cut from cardboard as the tissue paper citizens watched unblinkingly from the sideline. Alone was being crouched in the closet trying to drown out the screams and hoping his father would forget him for just one night. Alone was watching other mothers, fathers and children laugh with each other and him suffering the pangs of some strange emotion that could only be described as longing.

Alone was sitting on a swing in the park with no one to push you.

Severus never thought much about his circumstance. He was born and raised in an environment as oppressive as growing up in a basement with no light. His clothes were old. The food was always lacking. His parents argued. They _always _argued. The house was falling apart. But that was normal. Spinner's End was a no-man's land. So, it was normal.

Severus never thought about anything. Things hurt less when they were pushed to the back of the mind, forever forgotten. It was safer that way. He tried not to think about anything. He never thought about the lack of food. He never counted the beer bottles on the porch. But he thought about magic. Days were filled with daydreams of castles and monsters only heard of in fairy tales. Nights - he did not want to think of nights. Nighttime was when father came home.

That anyone would want to be his friend - him with his unkempt appearance and jaded outlook of the world - was magic to him.

Alone was listening and never talking. Alone was trying and failing. Alone was never being more than an acquaintance and a peer. Alone being so different that everyone was out to get you for reasons that they even did not understand.

Alone was always always always longing, but never asking.

Severus grasped at her friendship and held it close to his heart. She was like him but very different all the same. She - with her bright green eyes and shiny buckle-shoes - smiled at him, laughed with him, promised they would always be friends.

He was a dog. A filthy feral dog. Good for nothing and a menace to all. That was what he was. All he knew was to snarl and snap and bite. It was not as if the ones on the receiving end of his ire did not deserve it. Everyone deserved it.

But not her. Despite the subtle signs that she did not need the nasty mutt anymore - despite the way the words of her golden friends trumped his - they were still friends. She kept him calm and placated. He would never bite her.

But he did.

She had smiled and it had infuriated him. Hereditary madness had taken over his rage-filled mind, and like a rabid dog, mad with disease, he lashed out trying to make her hurt like he was.

_Mudblood_

_Snivellus_

Alone was being naive enough to put his trust in the promises of children.


	2. Dejected Disillusionment

**Chapter 1  
**

**Dejected Disillusionment**_  
_

_Crying doesn't help_, a voice in his head admonished.

Severus sat cross-legged on his bed picking at his nails. It was half past noon on a Sunday that was doing its best to live up to its name. Severus had been startled awake before dawn. His mind had probably thought it was prudent to pull him from the stress induced nightmare causing him to whimper in his sleep.

Although he had woken up that early, he had not left the room. Only getting up once to relieve himself, he actually had not left his bed. The thick sheets he retained despite the heat of the impending summer weather gave him comfort and made him feel safe.

Severus sighed heavily and leaned back until his body hit the headboard. He covered his eyes with one arm. He lay there willing his frayed nerves calm, but in an instant, the scene by the lake replayed in his head. He heard himself say the damned word and watched as Lily's expression changed from shock to anger. Guilt wrapped itself around his throat while embarrassment churned the acid in his stomach and twisted his intestines. His face burned. He groaned and resisted the urge to curl in on himself.

He sobbed dryly.

_Think of kittens._

A rustling at the door alerted him to the presence of another. He inhaled a shuddering breath in an effort to steady himself.

"Go away," he ground out. He was in no mood for either sympathy or congratulations. Severus was by no stretch of imagination a popular person. Despite his apparent aptitude for most of his classes, he was something of a non-entity to the teachers. To most of the student body, he was the unkempt strange one whose dark stare would turn you into stone if you caught his eyes - or something to that end as stated by Sirius Black.

Before the... _incident_... he was irrelevant - simply another weirdo, another sheep in a flock of hundreds. Of course, he was tormented by Potter and his merry band of misfits on a daily basis, but never was the attention focused on _him_. Severus was the no-name. Potter hexed many - Slytherins - and the gushing crowd applauded. What did it matter to them if the tormented of the day repeated often enough to be considered an obsession?

The offense of spouting a word in rage had earned him a notoriety he was not comfortable with. Simultaneously, he was a lauded and spat upon. Severus was confused, but he was sure that Mulciber was going to find himself with a nasty rash if he did not stop going on about how bloody brilliant it was to call the mudblood a mudblood.

_Yes. So brilliant it got me a detention._

Severus listened. He did not hear anything. Then the rustling started again. The rustling turned into shuffling which turned into someone sitting heavily on the edge of his bed.

"Oh, come now," came the disgustingly gentle voice of Regulus Black. "You can't be moping in here all day. It's sunny out and your OWLs are done, aren't they?"

Severus did not say anything. Regulus shook the bed a little and pushed Severus' knee. "We've been playing Red Light, Green Light out by the Quidditch pitch. You can fly right?"

Severus peeked out from under his arm. He scrutinized the younger boy tainting his bed with his perpetually cheerful and possibly smelly person. Dressed in leisure robes, Regulus stared at him with cool blue eyes. His mouth as quirked in what seemed suspiciously like a suppressed laugh.

Severus felt his blood rush to his face as the barely retrained feelings from before bubbled and choked him.

"What is it you find funny here, Black?" Severus managed to turn the statement into a lazy drawl, but inside he was close to breaking down.

"You!"

Severus clenched his jaw and covered his eyes again, determined to shut the nuisance out.

"No. Wait," Regulus added, hurriedly. "I mean... Look at you..."

Severus growled.

"No!" Regulus jumped off the bed. "Look! You're moping in here because of _girl_."

Regulus rested his head against the bedpost. "And it's pathetic." His normally expressive eyes turned hard. Regulus pulled out his wand and tapped it lazily in the palm of one hand. He stopped suddenly and leaned forward, as if sharing a secret.

"She's just a - "

"SHUT UP!" Severus had sprung up, hand tangled in the neck of Regulus' robes. Regulus's wand landed soundlessly on the plush carpet.

" - girl. A girl!" Regulus choked.

Severus was breathing in harsh angry breaths, dark eyes narrowed and smoldering.

"I just can't bear it - y - you like this..." Silence filled the room like thick smog.

Severus' eyes bored into Regulus, who was strangely enough not trying to wriggle out of the vice grip in which he was held.

The image of an eleven year old Regulus Black floated to the front of his mind. The ecstatic look on the newly-minted Slytherin's face had quickly turned sour following the jeers from his brother and his Gryffindor friends. Severus was not sure, but when a handful of peas was thrown in his direction, the younger Black may have been on the verge of tears.

Relations between the two had not gotten any better since.

He released his grip on Regulus. Severus switched his gaze to a point beyond Regulus.

"I - I know..." began Regulus.

"Just go." Severus cut in.

Regulus stared at him for a moment before nodding. He straightened his robes and rustled to the door. Severus fell back to the bed with an _oomph! _beginning to contemplate what a horrible person he was. The softly spoken words, "Ready when you are, Snape" floated to Severus' ears.

"Wrong game, idiot," he muttered.


	3. Shivering Servants

**AN: **Yes, an update! Readers, be aware this story will move at a slow pace. Mainly due to the ideas having a hard time coming out coherently without being drawn-out. I changed the summary since I'm aware people might have gotten the wrong impression. This is not Severus/Lily (romantically). It will be slash...

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Shivering Servants**

The soles of Severus' boots made no sound as he stalked the halls, head bowed on his way to Filch's office. He kept his eyes glued to the cobble passing under his feet, not wanting to accidentally catch the eye of any of the few students wandering the halls that late in the afternoon. Filch's office, while not hidden, was not territory with which most students were familiar. The office was located in the dankest part of the dungeons, close to what rumour made out to be torture chambers.

Severus brought a hand up to his nose in order to ward off the painfully cold air. He kept a brisk pace until he arrived at his often-visted destination.

"Charms, _Room 4_"

Severus stared at the scrap of parchment stuck to the heavily scratched wooded door with a piece of sellotape. Severus quirked an eyebrow. _Sellotape?_ He huffed and shifted his feet.

The fact that the much loved caretaker was not there to greet him, the lucky miscreant, indicated to Severus that his detention was being chucked to another person to deal with. It was not uncommon for teachers to pass off detention supervision to prefects. Usually detention given for misdemeanor crimes such as throwing things at Peeves or not doing homework were taken care of by prefects who would supervise the completion of menial chores or assign lines. Severus had never heard of any case where this system failed. During detention, the authority of the prefect seemed much more than when they were simply on patrol or in the vicinity.

With Filch's seemingly impossible job - one man caretaker of an entire castle - Severus was not entirely surprised that he would not be serving detention with the man. It had never happened before, but he was not surprised. However, calling someone a derrogatory name such as the one he spat at Lily Evans was no small crime. Filch was always more sympathetic to Severus' case than most others. Filch never lessened the punishment, but he did converse with the dark eyed boy as if he were another Mrs. Norris - minus the words of endearment, that is. Severus was not sure whether he preferred to endure a detention, scraping scum off the glass on the windows of the Astronomy Tower while listening to Filch natter on about the latest crime he and his beloved cat had stopped from coming to fruition or being in the presence of a student who would look down on him as he completed whatever dicated nonsense he had to complete.

He preferred not to be anywhere near _anyone_.

He was in no mood to deal with people. Severus was mixed up - he dared not say emotional - and incredibly angry.

Severus looked at the note again. The handwriting was unremarkable.

"Charms, _Room 4_."

_That's all the way upstairs - somewhere._

Severus stared at the note. The sellotape was coming loose. He glanced up and down the hall. It was empty.

"House elf?" he whispered, stooping a bit. He tensely waited for something to happen. Seconds ticked by.

"Oh, sod - "

_Pop!_

A tiny frail-looking creature appeared in front of him, startling him a step back. Severus had to stop himself from clutching his chest. Severus had seen house elves before. The appearance of the dingy creatures never failed to intrigue him. So, he stared.

Severus often wondered about the circumstances of Filch's employment. Why was he needed if there were house elves? When Severus first encountered a house elf in his second year, he marveled at the power of the tiny cowering creature so willing to serve. _Cowering_. He had heard stories of the house elves from his housemates whose families were affluent enough to retain such luxuries. Powerful, yet willing to get walked on by those who could and would, house elves disgusted Severus. _Cowering_. The idea struck a chord in his chest.

_Pathetic is what they are._

"Minnie not supposed to answer little childies." The elf batted her eyes and stared balefully at him. She pulled lightly on her floppy ears.  
Severus pursed his lips into a thin line. The thing was _cute_.

"I require transport to Charms, Room 4," he stated. He shifted his bag slung over his shoulder and did his best to stand with the an air that demanded obedience.

"But you is a childies!" The elf opened her wide eyes wider still and took a step back.

"Are," he corrected automatically. "Are a childies - I mean child!" Severus looked down his nose at the little house elf. "I'm asking nicely. Do not make me _beg_."

Minnie started shaking and Severus wondered if he had somehow broken the creature. Severus checked to see if anyone was around. It would not do to be found near a house elf that seemed to be imploding.

"Um, elf..." He bent and reached a hand out towards the house elf.

Suddenly, a white light enveloped both him and Minnie, and with a _pop!_ the corridor was empty.


	4. Sharing Punishment

_AN: I'm a procrastinator, aren't I?_

**Chapter 3**

**Sharing Punishment**

* * *

Severus and Minnie appeared in a blur of light in the corridor before the Charms classroom. A group of first year Hufflepuffs scattered at their rather flashy arrival. Severus, shell-shocked by the sudden disapparation, was working his mouth in a pantomime of a fish.

"Whoa..." was all Severus could manage. Then, seeming to remember himself, he shook his head and brushed at some imaginary dust on his robes. Shifting the bag on his shoulder, he turned to the little house elf who was twisting her comically large fingers and staring at him.

"Um, thank - "

Minnie yelped and popped away. Severus looked taken aback. He chose to attribute the strange behaviour as nothing more than the normal behaviour of a strange creature. _But does it have to look so filthy?_ He briefly pondered why anyone would choose to keep such unsightly and possibly unpredictable things in their home. Magical servant or not, the creatures were downright unsettling. Severus shuddered as he thought about the hundred of house elves that had to be behind the scenes, keeping Hogwarts running.

Severus raised a hand and rapped a knuckle on the door. At the sound of a muffled "Enter", Severus pushed open the heavy door and warily stepped into the room. There were four columns of desks separated into eight rows. At the front of the room, Severus spotted a small Gryffindor boy who had turned at the noise of the door opening. Severus smirked as the boy's face turned ashen at the sight of him. _Not brave enough to sit with a Slytherin in detention, eh?_

"Right on time, Snape."

Severus glanced at the prefect sitting at the teacher's desk off to the side at the front of the class. It was Amelia Chaucer, seventh year Ravenclaw and ardent member of the Wise Whiz Wizards Quiz-bowl club.

"Filch wanted me to set you to some scrubbing," she said, twirling a lock of her brown hair around a finger, "but apart from that mouth of yours, there's nothing to scrub. But... that sort of thing should be left to your mother." Amelia gave a tiny smile at the sour expression on Severus' face. He stood near the door, and showed no signs of going into the room any further.

"Relax and come in. I'm not going to throw eggs at you."

Severus' temper was straining at its reigns. The girl might not mean anything, but the urge to send a stinging hex straight into her smarmy face was strong. It was not her place to tease a person she barely knew with double-edged words. Severus went left and dropped his bag onto the desk closest to the wall. He slid into the seat, placing his hands on the desk. Raising an eyebrow, he looked expectantly at the prefect.

"Do whatever you want, but just sit there. No trouble."

That was_ exactly_ what Severus needed - to sit and contemplate all the bad he did. He reached into his bag and pulled out some parchment and his writing instruments.

He sighed.

Severus idly coloured the edge of his parchment. He listened to the hypnotic sounds the quill made as he scratched with it. He did not know how much time had passed, but it felt like ages. Severus was reluctant to cast a _Tempus_ in case he got into more trouble. The prefect had not taken his wand, but maybe she still expected him not to use it. A loophole, sure, yet it was one Severus was not going to get away with if he exploited it.

He was bored. He glanced at the prefect. Amelia was completely immersed in what she was reading. From the scantily clad couple on the cover, Severus could tell the literature was far from an intellectual piece. He contemplated the repercussions of throwing balls of parchment at the other boy in the room.

Severus had resigned himself to his doodles when suddenly the door to the classroom burst open. Amelia scrambled to hide her choice reading material as a red-faced McGonagall dragged a muddy Sirius Black towards the front of the room. Remus Lupin, also a prefect and currently looking quite sheepish, followed them.

"Chaucer!" the curt tone of the Transfiguration professor made the seventh year jump in her chair. "I need you to watch these two."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll - "

"MUD BOMBS!" McGonagall's voice was nearly a shriek. Everyone in the room flinched a bit. The young Gryffindor, who Severus had forgotten was even in room, looked about to faint.

McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers. She let out a breath and turned to address the prefect whose services she was currently in need of.

"Miss Chaucer, I'll be back as soon as I can. I have to go help fix the mess this thoughtless boy caused." She sent a glare to Sirius Black. "I'll send someone down to take over if I'm running a late."

The prefect nodded. She gestured for the subjects of Professor McGonagall's ire to take seats. With cautious movements, the boys did so.

McGonagall straightened and made ready to depart. "Boys, you can be sure the Headmaster will hear of this when he gets back." Black and Lupin hung their heads. "Remus, I'm very disappointed in you."

As soon as the door shut behind her, Sirius Black let out a loud breath and relaxed triumphantly into the chair. Lupin refused to raise his head and Sirius tried kicking his foot in order to rouse him from his friend from dire thoughts.

"Leave off, Padfoot," was all the response Lupin would give.

Severus was fuming. His heart thumped loudly in his chest. Two of the Marauders were in the same room as he. They had not noticed him yet, being wrapped up in their own situation, but Severus was sure he would not get back to his dormitory unscathed.

"You two just be quiet and sit there until the professor comes back for you," was the instruction from Amelia who had picked up her book and was searching for her place.

"What'd you do?" asked the other Gryffindor in the room, sounding awestruck.

Sirius Black stopped kicking Remus and grinned brightly. Severus rolled his eyes.

"Well, we - James, me and Remus here, made these mud bombs, you see," Sirius Black sat up and leaned forward a bit. "We set 'em up near Filch's office - for test purposes, you see. We thought they'd blow up and then make a little mess - for Filch, like a gift. But..." Sirius smiled.

The impressionable Gryffindor leaned forward, eyes sparkling, waiting to hear the conclusion to his hero's tale. Even the Ravenclaw at the teacher's table stared at Sirius over the top of her risque novel.

"It flooded the dungeons."

Remus groaned. He dropped his head onto the desk.

"The _whole_ dungeons?"

"No, not that lucky." Sirius barked a laugh. "Too bad McGonagall got there before we all could clear out. Caught me and Remy here, didn't she?"

"I told you not to do it."

"Yeah. Well."

A silence settled over the room. Severus was hoping McGonagall would come back quickly and extract her two miscreants before they noticed his presence. However a flood in the dungeons was not easy to fix.

_They can't hurt me in detention._

Severus sighed and continued doodling. It was always just one thing after another. Could nothing go right for him? Even once in a while would be acceptable.

"Snape's behind you."

_Of course not._

Severus glared at the younger Gryffindor who had pointed him out. The boy was apparently feeling much braver now that the icons of his house were with him.

Severus broke the glare and turned to the Marauders. Under the desk, he had his wand at ready. Sirius had turned in his chair to look at him and Remus was sitting up, staring between the two.

"Alright there, Snivellus?"


	5. Black Eyes and Raging Temper

**Chapter 4**

**Black Eyes and Raging Temper**

* * *

Severus dropped his gaze to his parchment. Letting his hair curtain his face, he hoped that by feigning disinterest, Sirius would grow bored and leave him alone. They _were_ in detention. While Severus' punishment would end when the clock struck five, the two Marauders were still, figuratively, in the waiting room of their troubles. He doubted that even they, as thick as they were, would risk adding more to their list of misdemeanors and consequently increase Professor McGonagall's irritation. That would mean more trouble for them.

_Well, not trouble if Dumbledore gets involved._

"Oye, I'm talking to you,"

Severus snuck a glance at the dog of a boy. His heart leapt into his throat. Sirius had gotten up from his chair and was idly making his way over to back of the room where he sat. Knowing that he had to stand his ground in order to come out on the right side of the inevitable skirmish, Severus kept still. However, he itched to throw a hex at the boy.

"Sirius sit down," ordered the Ravenclaw. Her eyes expressed worry. A duel in the middle of a detention she was supervising would not reflect well on her capabilities.

Sirius waved a hand, dismissively. "S'alright. I'm not going to do anything."

Remus kept up with his staring which had turned into more of a pensive assessment. If the mousy-haired prefect had anything to say, it would go unspoken until the end of time. Severus could not recall a time when Lupin did anything. He was neither an instigator nor referee. His status as fifth year Gryffindor prefect was a joke. Remus was also a sickly being. Always falling ill and looking as if he would shatter if someone shook him roughly by the shoulders. To Severus, he was less corporeal than a ghost and was only important because of his association with the golden clique of the school. If intentional, it was a smart move.

Severus bit back a growl as Sirius took a seat next to him. Elbows on the desk, Sirius leaned to the side, pretending to be interested in whatever the Slytherin had put down on the parchment. Severus was tense, but he refused to pay the boy any mind. _He can't do anything._

The more useful prefect in the room had gone back to her book, but her eyes nervously darted at the two more than occasionally. The situation could turn rotten in the blink of an eye - not that she could stop it.

"What you doing, Snivy?"

"Sirius..." Remus trailed off.

"Calm down. Calm down." Sirius raised a hand in pacification. "I'll be careful with it. I study Care of Magical Creatures, you know."

Severus' head jerked a bit. Stiffly, he picked up his quill with his left hand and tried to continue his random scratching. _Don't give him a cause._

"Look, the trick is to reach out slowly," Sirius stuck a hand out towards Severus' head. Clenching his jaw, he dodged the odd, demeaning _petting_.

Sirius smirked.

"Well, these things are of a hostile sort," Sirius' voice took on the tone of one commentating a documentary. "You can tell how wild the thing is by it's appearance - "

"Black, I would advise you to shut your mouth and get back to your seat," snapped Amelia.

" - all grimy and matted," Sirius reached out again and managed to snag a lock of Severus' hair. "Looks like it's never been clean in its pathetic life." He scrunched up his nose. "Sad, really."

A black rage had filled Severus when Sirius grabbed his hair. How dare the brute touch him? Severus could no longer see the parchment before him, his vision blurred by anger. His body shook a little as he struggled to keep himself in check. He had no greater desire than to stab the offending boy over and over until the stillness of death meant the world was finally rid of him and his blather.

"Get. Off." The words were hissed quietly, but carried with them an anger that dripped like a corrosive poison.

Sirius paused in his tugging, looking uncertain for a moment. He removed his hand and made a show of wiping them on his muddy trousers. "Sometimes you gotta know when to back off, yeah?"

"Sirius..."

"Probably shouldn't have done that, I know," he leaned back in his chair. "Wouldn't want to catch any of that factory gutter rat disease."

Severus stiffened.

"How does it feel to be half-blood in Slytherin? They make you lick their boots? You the lapdog?"

"Black!"

"Whatever." Sirius put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Anything must be an improvement over your daddy beat-"

Severus leapt out of his chair and tackled Sirius Black. With Severus on top, both boys fell to the floor in a flurry of robes. One hand holding - rather strangling - Sirius, Severus repeatedly smashed his other fist into Black's face. Surprised cries came from the remaining persons in the room, but Severus paid them no heed. He was not the most physically fit, but the sheer force of his rage added to the strength of his punches. _What. Gave. Him. The. Right._

He had managed to land enough punches to draw blood and make dark spots on the Gryffindor's face before he was thrown off to the side. He dodged Sirius's fist as it came barreling towards his face. It grazed his chin and unbalanced him, making him fall onto his back.

Remus had scrambled over and was trying to prevent Sirius, whose face was now blotchy, from jumping on the Slytherin in order to mete out the same treatment he had received.

"Snape! Black!" Amelia shouted. The Ravenclaw prefect was simultaneously fuming and at a loss. She turned to the other Gryffindor in the room who perhaps innocent of the nastiness of brawls, was frozen still. "Trevor, go find McGonagall. Now!"

The young Gryffindor, now identified as Trevor, shook himself out of his trance and dashed out of the room, only pausing to struggle with the heavy wooden doors.

Severus sat up. Using a desk for support, he pulled himself to his feet. Sirius Black was still fighting in Remus' hold. Black eyes met grey.

"Fucking dog."

"Diseased gutter-rat."


	6. Unexpected Turns

**Chapter 5**

**Unexpected Turns**

* * *

The air in the room was thick with tension. Severus was breathing long, deep breaths to quell his rage. Slamming his palm on a desk, he cursed himself for his inability to keep his emotions in check. Goddamn it. He sighed. _More trouble._ Severus straightened his robes and bent to pick up his wand from where it had fallen during the struggle. A few sparks flew from it, and Severus noticed the Ravenclaw prefect - Amelia - flinch. He raised an eyebrow. She scowled.

Severus folded his arms and waited for the arrival of the Transfiguration professor.

"Let go, Remy!"

Sirius Black had ceased struggling in Remus' hold and brusquely shrugged off the boy whose hold had loosened but had not let go. Sirius brushed at his clothes. Remus was whispering harshly to Black. The bruised Gryffindor seemed to be ignoring his friend and busied himself with half-heartedly kicking at the furniture. A loud _clang_ echoed in the Charms classroom when one of the wooden chairs fell over.

"Sirius..." began Amelia, in warning.

"Whatever," he said.

Remus picked up the chair and gave the prefect an apologetic smile. Black coughed drily. He used his hand to wipe his lip and threw a dark look at the Slytherin. Severus looked away.

The soft _boom_ of the wooden doors alerted the occupants of the room to the arrival of Professor McGonagall. Severus dropped his arms to his sides and licked his lips in nervousness.

"Professor!" cried the Ravenclaw, running up to the woman.

Taking the professor aside, the prefect quietly gave her report. Severus watched the professor as she listened, stoney-faced, to the tale. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. She said something to the Ravenclaw who straightened. The Transfiguration professor dismissed the prefect and turned her attention to the fifth year boys.

Professor McGonagall was furious. Strands of her hair had come loose from the usually tight bun and hung around her face like drooping leaves. Her robes were mud-spattered and wrinkled. Breathing heavily from the long journey from the dungeons, she might have had the appearance of someone weary, but the scorching glare she bestowed upon the three boys before her indicated otherwise. She walked to the teacher's desk and stood behind it. Despite her appearance, the Transfiguration professor looked as intimidating as ever.

"Come here," she ordered. "Up front, now."

The two Gryffindors glanced nervously at each other before walking the few steps up to the desk. Severus followed and stood to the right of Remus. He held his hands behind his back. "At ease" was the stance, but Severus was far from being at ease. The adrenaline that had fueled his rage was receeding, leaving him feeling shaky and light-headed. His hands hurt from striking Black. Severus flexed them a bit.

"Fighting. In detention," Professor McGonagall stated simply, crossing her arms and inclining her head a bit. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Her eyes studied each boy in turn. Severus swallowed thickly.

He glanced at the two Gryffindors next to him. Sirius Black, face purpling, was doing his best to play the part of wronged innocent. His face was scrunched up - whether he was going for a "grimacing in pain" look or attempting to induce tears was unknown to Severus - and he was clutching the upper part of his left arm as if it would fall off if he let go. Severus had to admit that between the strained face and the muddied robes, the boy did seem quite pathetic. _Stupid dog._

Then there was Lupin. Poor wimpy _mousy_ Lupin. Severus sniffed at bit. Lupin's head was lowered. His remorse might have been true, but who could _really_ tell?

"Well, go on then," McGonagall said, narrowing her eyes. "Answer me."

Severus pursed his lips and allowed his hair to fall forward. He was not going to say anything. They had seen the prefect talking to the Professor. What else would they have spoken about if not what the prefect had seen? Severus was not going to simply remark, "I punched him 'cause he called me names." He would sound like a child. How was he to get across the the fact that it was not just the names, but also the vehemence and spitefulness behind them? Professor McGonagall would not understand. She would not.

"Snape started it."

_Typical._

"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

Severus stared at the dirty Gryffindor, waiting for him to continue. Severus was interested in hearing the yarn that Sirius was most likely going to spin. Returning Severus' stare for a moment, the boy opened his mouth and closed it. He huffed and started rubbing his arm, looking sheepish.

"Hmm..." Professor McGonagall took her eyes off Sirius and turned to the accused Slytherin. "Severus?"

"Professor?"

"You may go."


	7. Logical Thinking

**AN:** _Hurrah! The semester is finally over! I will definitely be putting more time into this little story. So far, it's mostly exposition and setting up the AU, but hold on to your kittens, stuff will happen._

**Chapter 6**

**Logical Thinking**

* * *

Severus narrowed his eyes at the closed wooden door as he tried to comprehend the events that transpired in the room after Professor McGonagall's arrival. Had she really let him off scot-free when he clearly had a go at Sirius Black's face? Severus exhaled nosily. Apparently, she had. Shifting his bag, he turned to face the direction of the shifting staircase and began the trek to them. _Professor McGonagall is angry._ At Sirius Black, that is.

Sirius Orion Black was considered by many to be the embodiment of what many believed to be the heart of Gryffindor. He was outgoing, charismatic and so terribly _brave_ - reckless, in Severus' opinion. He livened up - disrupted - classes and made girls swoon with a wink and flash of teeth. He was never one to back down from a challenge regardless of the trouble he might get himself and his friends into. How ironic must it be then that Sirius Orion Black was the scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black - a family considered by many to entertain more than passing fancy in what many believed to be Dark Arts. The boy seemed to be trying hard to distance himself from that image by going on a vendetta against the Slytherin populace of the school. Or maybe it was not so hard for him? The pranks he and his friends played were not exactly nice, and Severus knew the boy could turn on the charm and lie through his teeth to manipulate people to his advantage. Severus had always found it quite grating that Sirius Black, of all people, had the nerve to vilify the students in Slytherin for being sorted into Slytherin when he, Sirius Black, was born and raised in a family considered by many to entertain more than passing fancy in what many believed to be Dark Arts.

_Blood is always thicker than water._

Severus hopped down the stairs, taking two at a time.

Professor McGonagall was angry. Her golden pupil had pulled yet another prank, but this time the damage radius was not small. The prank could not be fixed by sending the afflicted to the infirmary and forcing the boy to give an apology, no matter how half-hearted. This stunt required more effort and anything that required effort was not amusing. By letting the Slytherin go, Professor McGonagall was simply expressing her dissatisfaction with her house members. _Not that I should be complaining._

Severus was out of breath by the time he got to the dungeons. Looking around, he found no trace of the prank that Sirius Black proudly claimed he did. The teachers had worked quickly. He continued walking deeper into the dungeons until finally he stopped and turned to an empty brick wall.

Leaning close, he whispered, "Veritas."

The bricks shimmered and pulled away from each other, revealing a door that was the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories. Severus pushed open the black door and stepped directly into the common-room. Apart from a few first years who were huddled and excitedly whispering over a very large tome, the room was empty. Without attracting the attention of the first years, Severus headed left towards the boy's dormitory. Severus had always found the Slytherin dormitory interesting. Being in the dungeons, everything in the Slytherin area was found on one level. If one mapped it out, the rooms were arranged in a half circle with the common-room being in the center. From the center, there were two main corridors branching out. These led off into the boys' and girls' dorms. the main corridor for each side was split into many paths on either that led to the rooms for students. Traditionally, the rooms closest to the common-room belonged to the first years, the rooms after those were filled belonged to the second years, and so on. The capacity of the rooms that the castle spawned varied. Some rooms could only fit once person while the maximum seemed to be three. Every year the number of rooms either increased or decreased depending on the number of students. However, it seemed as if the rooms are only added to the back of the half circle. Once, in Severus' second year, Hogwarts had accepted a sixth year transfer student from Durmstrang and had dumped the student in Slytherin. The castle had increased the number of rooms by one, and as a result the two upper years had flown into chaos when students had woke up in bed in a different position and rooms that were not their own. The castle had shifted the occupants of the seventh year section and partially the sixth year section down by one space.

"How'd it go?"

Severus jumped. He scrambled for his wand. Scanning the room he shared with Martus Avery and Brendon Goyle for the source of the voice, his eyes fell upon the figure sitting in the middle of his bed.

"What the hell, Regulus!"

Severus huffed and stepped deeper into the room. He dropped his bag on the ground at the foot of his bed and yanked off his school robes. Aware of the younger Black's eyes on him, he trudged to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He turned on the faucet and splashed his face with the cool water. Severus stared at his reflection, noting the small black dots speckling the tip of his nose. _Geez._ Severus loosened his tie and went over to his laundry hamper. He selected a fairly clean and well-worn t-shirt and his pajama pants. Shedding the Hogwarts uniform, he pulled and tugged on his selections and exited the shared bathroom. Severus was not surprised to find Regulus still perched on his bed. However, he chose to ignore the blue-eyed boy for as long as he could.

Severus crawled onto his bed, roughly shoving Regulus to the side in the process. He lay on his back and covered his eyes with one arm. Silence filled the room with a rustling that sounded whenever Regulus shifted a bit on the bed. Severus was tired and wanted nothing more than to drift off into sleep, but he was finding it extremely difficult to do so with someone strange in the room - on his bed, really. He could _feel_ the other's eyes boring into his skin.

"Ahem," Regulus cleared his throat. "I asked how it went."

Severus debated answering for a moment. _What is the deal with Regulus?_

"I smashed your brother's face in."

"Oh. Good."


	8. Daisy Potatoes

**Chapter 7**

**Daisy Potatoes**

* * *

Summer had wrapped its arms around the school year, refusing to let it out of the great tight choke-hold until it was effectively knocked out for a few months. The Leaving Feast was always a spectacular affair. Green, of all shades, coloured the Great Hall. Green banners embroidered with shimmery letters hung from the walls and flags adorned with slithering silver serpents were attached to the pillars, floating gently in an air current no one could feel.

The noise in the Great Hall was deafening. Excited chatter poured from the mouths of every being - living or dead . Well, everyone save for one Severus Snape, it seemed.

Severus lost track of the number of times he glanced at Lily Evans. It was the first time he had seen her in days. The last time had been when he tried to - no. He did not want to think of that. He narrowed his eyes. She had not accepted his apology. She had said that she did not like the path he had chosen - did not want to be a part of it. Severus sighed and looked down at his plate. He was unaware that he had professedly _chosen a path_.

Much talk had been circulating among the students of Hogwarts. Severus caught the whispers. There were talks of change and a new party fixated on helping the wizarding society remember _The Old Ways_ - something that many seemed to want but hesitated to define with words. If the rumours - and Lucius Malfoy, for that matter - were to be believed, Severus could understand Lily's upset. The politicians were essentially attacking her. The word he uttered dully reflected the same. However, he could not understand the complete renouncement of their relationship. They _were_ friends. He thought so.

Lily, seated with her friends at the Gryffindor table, conversed with an air of lightheartedness. The brown-haired girl to the left of Lily leaned towards her and whispered, a teasing smile in place. Lily's eyes darted towards the end of the table where James Potter and his trio of friends sat. She flushed crimson and slapped playfully at the girl.

_Or maybe she's glad you're gone._

Severus clenched his spoon tighter.

Severus scowled and focused his attention on smashing the boiled potatoes he had absentmindedly placed on his plate.

"There's mashed potatoes if you wanted some."

Severus paused in his assault on the potatoes to glare at his roommate, Martus Avery.

"Yes," he hissed.

Avery tipped his head in mock reverence, placing his cutlery neatly beside his own plate. He pushed the bowl filled with the food item in question towards the still scowling boy. Severus snatched it up under one arm, promptly scooping spoonfuls into his conveniently cleaned plate.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Avery hummed in acknowledgement. His gaze lingered on Severus' face for moment, taking in the boy's countenance. Severus did not look well.

A flurry of movement at the entrance of the Great Hall caught Severus' attention. A group-yet-not-quite of students were making their way into the room. Their stiff posture betrayed their nervousness and strain for nonchalance despite the leisurely pace they maintained. Snickers from all corners of the room were directed at the strange mix of Gryffindor, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Nothing else could foster house unity more quickly and without much fuss the way tardiness could. A few students, seated safely at their own tables, glanced from the group to the Head Table with large grins plastered to their faces.

The teachers looked on. Each wore expressions so differing that there was no doubt the consensus was mixed. Professor Sprout tried to seem strict but could not help tittering at bit herself. And why not? There were no Hufflepuffs in the mix.

Just as the band of latecomers began to scatter to their respective tables, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. The miscreants stopped moving.

"A point from every one of you." she said, smiling. "Carry on."

Students - both seated and standing - looked at each other, confused. Was Professor McGonagall attempting at humour? Some students chuckled nervously while the latecomers scrambled to their seats.

Severus watched Regulus Black materialize from the crowd and make a beeline for him. He groaned halfheartedly. Severus was still not sure whether he minded Regulus' attentions. His eyes were drawn to Lily again, but he glanced away quickly - towards the younger Slytherin. He sighed._ It is company._

"You're bound to give yourself wrinkles frowning like that all the time."

Regulus slid next to Severus on the bench, nodding to the Slytherins around him. His robes rustled audibly as he made himself comfortable.

"Adds to the general look." Severus put the bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. He scanned the remaining dishes. A bowl of shredded cheddar appeared next to his plate. He sprinkled cheese on his potatoes and ate a spoonful of the mixture.

"No. It makes you look old," Regulus retorted.

Severus scowled deeper. He swallowed and turned sharply to the Black.

"Shut up," he said. "Where the bloody hell have you been off to? The Feast started _ages_ ago."

"Well," Regulus began, smirking. "I - "

"Nevermind. I don't want to hear it after all."

"Oh! Come on - "

A collective laugh roared from the Gyrffindor table. Everyone turned their attention to the table. The more rash members of the Marauders stood on the benches. Waving their wands in exaggerated sweeps, they transfigured the napkins on the table into numerous pink daisies. Severus let out an exasperated huff at the applause that followed the feat. More wand movement resulted in the flowers dispersing in slow flight to all corners of the Great Hall. The delicate projectiles landed clumsily along each of the house tables, but that did not stop the blushes and squeals of delight emitted from a large number of witches.

Severus watched as Lily held her flower - a deep red daisy as opposed to the white scattered all around the Great Hall. Lily held the flower gently in both hands, a dreamy look cast over her features. The girls around her giggled and pointed at the red daisy. Lily looked up and her eyes caught Severus'. He narrowed his eyes. Lily paled for a moment before catching herself and steeling her stare. She turned away, responding to the prodding of her friends who were no doubt giddy over the Marauders - most likely the James Potter - bestowing such a gift to one of their own.

"Rather gaudy bunch, aren't they?" said Avery, holding up a flower.

Taking in his daisy-covered mashed potatoes, Severus silently agreed.


End file.
